


automatic eyes

by orphan_account



Category: Cobra Starship, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco, The Academy Is...
Genre: Covens, Highschool AU, I'll add more characters later, M/M, Witch AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-22
Updated: 2016-11-01
Packaged: 2018-06-09 22:32:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 15,114
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6926326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'<em>sunken in their splintered cradles and ramshackle heads</em><br/>they asked for it.'</p><p> </p><p>(in which Gabe's the son of a witch hunter and William's a witch and everyone's in highschool)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. prologue

**Author's Note:**

> age differences mean nothing to me!

Cold feet stepped across an even colder floor, cautious, careful. He could see snow falling just outside his window, Chicago's harsh winter finally beginning.

William never much liked winter. 

He lived for the summer: no school, warm weather, and good times with friends. He sighed as he climbed into bed (and he could swear he almost saw his breath) and pulled the covers over himself. It was no help: they would be freezing until what little body heat he had got trapped beneath them.

William stared at the candle on his nightstand longingly, wishing it'd light itself. He'd ran out of matches awhile ago, and at twelve years of age, he really couldn't go out and buy his own. His parents would surely be mad if he took more of theirs, too.

His eyes flicked briefly to his clock. 12:03am, and he had school in the morning. He'd regret staying up this late, but he was so cold. He looked to the wick on the candle, concentrated hard. It was dumb, but it was the same thing as trying to use the Force. Maybe someday it'd work.

And suddenly, the rug on his floor went up in flames.

William yelped and fought with his blankets, shoving them off himself and getting out of bed. The smoke alarm in his room shrieked, undoubtedly waking his entire family. Panic made his chest feel tight, and he was inhaling too much smoke. He couldn't remember anything he was taught about fires in school, other than to stop, drop, and roll if his clothes caught.

His door opened and he heard the hiss of a fire extinguisher, putting out the fire as quickly as it started. His parents stood in the doorway, his mother holding the extinguisher tightly in her left hand. "William Eugene Beckett, what just happened?" She demanded, entering his room.

William jumped, startled by how loud she was. "I d-d-don't know." He stuttered, an uncontrollable habit of his. Almost every time he felt some sort of emotion, it became harder for him to speak clearly. "I w-was just trying t-t-to-" He couldn't finish when his mother held him close, hugging him tight.  
"I'm glad you're okay, Bill." She said.  
"Ye-eah. I am too..." He mumbled against her, then pulled back. "M-mom, is it possible for people to light things on fire by just concentrating on it? Because I think I just did." He spoke deliberately to not stutter.

His mother's face darkened, and she glanced to his father. "You just did it? With your mind?"  
William nodded. "I was aiming for the candle-" He began to explain.  
She smiled slightly, but it seemed fake. "William, you know how grandma would tell you stories of her mother, Aithne? And how she could do magic?"  
William nodded again. "Yeah...?"  
"I think you might be a witch." She said.

William couldn't help but gasp, just a little bit. "Like-like...she was? You really th-th-think I am?" He knew his eyes were stupidly wide right now.  
"I really do. But listen, it's late and you need to go to bed. We'll look into this tomorrow, okay?" She said like a question, but he knew better. She kissed his forehead. "Now, go to sleep."

William got into bed and laid down, his parents shutting the door the same time he shut his eyes.

 

~*~

The next morning, his mother made him run a series of tests, keeping him home from school. His sister had demanded to stay home, as well, and was watching.  
William felt nervous even though he knew he had no reason to be.

He could light things on fire, but not exactly things he wanted to. And he could teleport himself, but only two feet to the left. He could move objects if he really tried, but only to lift them five inches and promptly drop them. He couldn't read minds, he couldn't make dead plants flower, and he couldn't control weather or other people's wills.

But he was a witch, and he was to not tell anyone.  
Ever.


	2. Chapter 2

_"Jesus Christ, that's a pretty face._  
The kind you'd find on someone I could save."  
-B.N.

-four years later-

William Beckett exhaled as he walked to the doors Barrington High School: familiar as always, yet different. It was late August, and still hot as hell. He was a junior this year, and was thankful for the quickly-upcoming end of his high school career.

"Beckett! You piece of garbage, you didn't wait for us!"  
William rolled his eyes as Adam and Mike flanked him, Adam continuing to berate him. "You could've called if you were gonna just go ahead and entre the building."  
William linked arms with him and Mike. "I didn't see you guys. I'm sorry," he apologised, but it wasn't the most convincing. He really didn't see them.

The hallways were crowded. Some old faces, along with the newcomers; fourteen year old freshmen who were maybe too excited to finally be in high school. William remembered his freshman year too well. It happened to be the worst year of his life thus far.  
"You're reaching a new level of emo," Mike was saying to him, like he was any less emo.  
William snorted. "Me?"  
Mike nodded, grinning. "Oh, yeah. The hair and all. Very emo."  
Adam was laughing, loud as always. "I think it makes him look pretty, in a sort of genderless way."

William's hair hadn't be cut in awhile. It was past his shoulders now, and parted to the side. He had meant to at least trim it, but it was starting to grow on him. "Am I the prettiest emo girl you guys have ever seen?" He asked, a smile forming on his lips.  
"Definitely." Mike answered, unlinking his arm from William's. "Anyway, I gotta run. See both of you later, aye?"  
Adam yelled his goodbye, whereas William just waved his left hand limply. They continued walking, to pre-calc. William was fairly certain it was his least favourite class, and he'd never even been in in it.

William found himself caught in thought, remembering last year and the year before, the struggles to keep his magic under wraps. It's not like he was one to shoot his mouth off or anything, or use his powers casually, but sometimes? It was just hard to not. He liked to help people, and though doing it like a normal functioning being was fine, he knew magic could help more. At least until he got burned at the stake or something for being a witch. 

No one outside his family knew: not his best friends, not his teachers or doctors or anyone else. William was taught that it was dangerous, even fatal, if the wrong person knew. No one was suspicious of him, no one ever asked. And yet, William felt like he was hiding one of the most important parts of himself.  
And maybe, no one would ever know.

~*~

"Hijo mío, do not forget." Diego said softly as Gabe walked past him, shouldering his backpack.  
"I won't, don't worry." He replied, smiling confidently. Oh no, he could never forget. He walked out the front door and shut it behind him, strolling down the sidewalk confidently. The first day of senior year, and he was on a witch-hunt.

Gabe was the son of Diego Saporta, famed witch-hunter. At seventeen (nearly eighteen) years old, Gabe found himself fully thrown into his father's exterminator world. He was in training, and just in time. A month prior, Diego sat his son down and spoke to him of the latest 'mission': the most important one ever assigned to a hunter in training.  
"There is an uprising in the magical side of the world. There has been for a few years, but it has become stronger in the past few months." Gabe recalled his father's words, a shadow passing across his face. "A teenage male, living quite close to us."  
Gabe had leaned back in his chair. "And what do you want me to do about it?"  
"I want you to become his friend, and I want you to murder him."

Gabe's blood had gone cold, his eyes widening. His father gave him all the details he knew, which weren't much other than the name. William Beckett, junior in Barrington High. Gabe was a senior, himself, but he couldn't say he'd ever met a William; Beckett or not.

He took the familiar path to his school. Gabe wasn't sure where to look for the boy, but hopefully a friend of his would know who the kid was. If Vicky didn't know, no one would. And Vicky had an odd way of reading his mind, crossing the street to join Gabe.  
"Good morning, sunshine." She said, smiling.  
"Darling," Gabe acknowledged her with a nod. "Good to see you didn't die in your sleep."  
"Unfortunately, neither did you." She teased, elbowing him.

Vicky was one of Gabe's best friends, ever since he moved from Uruguay back when he was only four. Her family lived across the street, and having a daughter only a year younger than Gabe made the families close. Gabe loved Vicky as much as someone platonically could. She was the only reason he hadn't gotten arrested or something. She was always the voice of reason, keeping him from doing dumb shit just because he could.

"Oh, Vicky, do you know a William Beckett?" Gabe asked, stepping over the cracks in the pavement.  
Vicky made a noise between a scoff and a laugh. "Why?"  
Gabe put a hand to his heart, feigning offense. "Because, I need to talk to him." He answered.  
"You wanna flirt with him?" Vicky harassed him, smirking. "He's not your type."  
"I don't _have_ a type." Gabe frowned. He was fairly openly bisexual, and he liked to pride himself on not having a type. People were people.  
Vicky was rolling her eyes. "Yeah, I know him. Wanna meet him?" She offered.  
"Why, are you close friends with him?" Gabe questioned, raising an eyebrow.  
"No, I'm sure he doesn't even know my name." She replied, skipping a bit as the school came into view. 

Gabe was starting to sort of doubt her. "Okay, just tell me what he looks like. I'll do the rest." He prompted, adjusting his backpack on his shoulder.  
Vicky pondered a moment, squeezing her eyes shut. "Uhh, he's tall and skinny, long brown hair. I think his eyes are blue. He's cute enough, wears really weird boots. I don't think I've ever heard him talk,"  
Gabe was definitely doubting her now. "Okay, that could be anyone."  
Vicky raised her hands in defeat and exasperation. "He ties a bandanna around one of his legs. That's about all I can remember."  
That was something to remember. "Like, the handkerchief code? Oh God, is this boy stuck in the 70s? What colour does he wear?"  
"Hell if I know." Vicky shrugged carelessly. "Meet him and find out."

If Gabe didn't want to meet him before, he _definitely_ wanted to meet him now.

~*~

William made his way through classes one minute at a time. The hands of the clock moved ever-so-slowly for him. To Gabe, they flew by unbelievably fast. But no matter how fast or slow it seemed to go, they would inevitably end up in the same place at the same time: the cafeteria.  
William got his food without much difficulty, then sat with Adam and Mike, Butcher coming along later.  
"Day's not even over and I think I'm dead," William huffed, poking at his food with his fork. Mike made a noise of agreement, and Butcher nodded. Adam was glancing around the room, lips pursed.

Gabe felt too tall as he entered the cafeteria, skipping the lunch line to go find his own table. Vicky jumped on his case before he even fully sat.  
"William's over there," She said excitedly, pointing her thumb over her shoulder. She was smiling hugely, her eyes huge. "Go talk to him."  
He tried to focus on him, but he was too far away, and Gabe's vision wasn't that great. The boy was with his friends, and Gabe could see him smiling a lot. "I can't." He said to Vicky.  
"Oh my god, this is not first grade, Gabey." Nate interjected, leaning across the table. "Go sit. Say you don't have friends. Any excuse you can make. This isn't the time to piss out, if you like the kid."  
"Wh- I don't! I don't even know him!" Gabe exclaimed, raising his eyebrows. "I just...I want to meet him."

Nate was giving him a Meaningful Look, eyes narrowed. "Go." He said firmly, as Vicky pushed Gabe's arm.  
Gabe huffed and got up, trying to muster up confidence. Why was this so goddamn hard? He strolled over with false assurance, sitting down at the edge of the bench.  
"Hi," A guy with messy, dirty blonde hair and hazel eyes said, smiling at him.  
"Can I sit here?" Gabe asked, keeping his attention on him instead of William.  
He kept smiling. "Sure."

Gabe smiled back, real confidence coming now. He took time to glance around now, taking in the others. One had dark hair and bright blue eyes, his hair looking like it needed to be washed. He was next to Gabe, between the one who said hello. On the other side of the table was an older-looking kid with the beginnings of a beard: beside him was, undoubtedly, the one and only William Beckett.

He was pretty, prettier than any boy Gabe had ever had the pleasure of looking at. He was a brunette, his hair hanging slightly past his shoulders. Vicky was wrong about his eyes. They were hazel, bordering closer to brown than green. He was wearing a long-sleeved red shirt that was tight around his bony shoulders, rolled up to his elbows. The shirt was just low enough to expose his collarbones, Gabe noted. He had long eyelashes, and his lips were quirked up into a smile as he stared right back at Gabe. 

Gabe tried not to think about having to murder him.

The others introduced themselves as Adam (Sisky, as friends called him - and in his eyes, Gabe was already a friend), Mike, and Butcher (Andy, but he said he'd rather not be called that). Finally, William spoke up. His voice was soft, hard to hear over the constant din in the cafeteria. "I'm William."  
"And I'm Gabe," Gabe grinned, trying not to keep looking at William. It was hard when William looked the way he did. Red looked nice on him, he thought.

William was doing the same. He kept dropping his gaze to the metal table, not wanting to linger on Gabe. And for all that Gabe noticed, he didn't notice the blush on William's cheeks when he offhandedly told him he was pretty. Sisky had laughed loudly, and Mike and Butcher both shot each other grins. William wanted to disappear into thin air. Compliments were never his thing.  
"Th-th-th-" He tried, getting stuck on the sound. He cleared his throat, glad his hair was hiding his face. "Thank y-you." He finished with an effort.

Gabe liked his stutter, he decided. He desperately tried to push the thoughts away, reminding himself that William was not to be his real friend, or boyfriend, or anything. He was a witch, and he was useless and terrible and a demon and all that shit his dad had told him his whole life.  
But how could the human equivalent of cancer be so fucking beautiful?

~*~

Gabe flirted his way through the rest of lunch, the only way he knew how to have a good conversation. He charmed William enough to get a phone number from him. William had scribbled in on a napkin in the last five minutes of their break, his pen held delicately in his hand.  
"Are you left-handed?" Gabe asked dumbly.  
William's eyes snapped up to meet his. "No, I just decided to write with my left hand for fun." He said, sarcasm dripping from every word. He smirked at Gabe's wounded-puppy reaction. "I get asked that a lot," He continued, sliding the napkin to Gabe.

Gabe didn't even look at it, didn't check if it was real. He just stuffed it in the pocket of his hoodie and stoop up. "Well, it was wonderful to meet you all."  
"You too!" Sisky said excitedly. Mike nodded in agreement, and Butcher just grinned.  
William's eyes lit up, but he tried not to beam. "You too." He said quickly but softly, wringing his hands in his lap.

Gabe couldn't help but smile again as he walked away, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pockets and feeling the napkin. His father would be proud of him. He was proud of himself.  
What a witch-hunt.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> because boy howdy do I love coffee shop AUs too

_"I fumble thorugh every word that was spoken,_  
and I barely knew your name."  
-T.A.I

William's phone buzzed on his nightstand, creating a loud reverberation sound against the wood. He reached out to grab it, setting in front of him on his bed and unlocking it. A text from an unknown number.  
_'hey its gabe, making sure this is williams number' it read._  
William bit his lip. It was the tall boy from lunch. 

William liked him well enough. He was pretty enthusiastic, which was a sharp contrast from William's boderline-emo table. Gabe had a nice smile and he liked to use it a lot. He was handsome, with high cheekbones and dark hair and even darker eyes. William shut his eyes, fingers poised over the screen of his phone, and hesitated. It's not that he didn't _want_ to text him back (he did, really badly), he just didn't want to inadvertently make Gabe apart of his witchy-business.  
It'd be just another person to lie to.

William sighed and opened his eyes, tapping out a reply: _'It's me, hey'_ he sent it before he could second-guess himself. He felt nauseous as he waited for an answer, staring at the tiny screen. Buzz.  
_'really? i figured you wouldve given me a fake haha howre you?'_  
William huffed, typing that he was fine, actually, how're you? He couldn't believe Gabe thought he'd give him a fake. Exasperated, he got off his bed and grabbed a book off his shelf.

It was his favourite, the third volume in the History of Magic compendium. It detailed the Salem attacks, and most things after. The book was made of leather, worn soft from years and years of handling. Before his grandmother died, she handed the entire collection down to William, saying it's what his great-grandmother would have wanted. 

William had a lot of books. They made up easily 75% of his bedroom, stacked on almost any surface that was clear. He reclaimed his spot on his bed, opening the book carefully. His phone buzzed again, another text from Gabe.  
_'im okay, at work right now but i get off in an hour.'_  
It was 6ish now. William asked where he worked, trying not to come across as too creepy.

It took Gabe longer to reply this time. William held his breath. Great, he thought William was some kind of creep trying to stalk him. Until:  
_'soundtrack, it's downtown. wanna come visit? ;)'_  
William had never heard of Soundtrack, but he was too hung up on the winky face. Was this an offer to go visit a (potential) friend or hook up with him? William seriously hoped it was the former.

William resigned, putting on his boots and shutting his book. He texted back an okay, then stuffed his phone in his pocket. He was halfway out the door when his mother confronted him. "Where are you going? Is your homework done?" She demanded.  
"Downtown, I made a new friend. And yeah, it's done." He half-lied. It was mostly done.  
His mom looked dubious, but nodded. "Mmhmm. Be home by 10, you have school in the morning."  
"Yeah, of course. Bye." He waved, stepping out of the house. It was pleasantly warm, so he decided to walk.

~*~  
Soundtrack wasn't as hard to find as William expected. It was on the fringes of downtown, barely enough to be even remotely considered 'downtown'. William let himself into the building, the door ringing as he came inside. It became glaringly apparent that it was a coffee shop. 

It had the industrial look, with exposed pipes on the ceiling and chairs made out of straight-up, unfinished plywood. William felt awkward standing there, tall and lanky and not at all hipster enough to be welcome in this café. There were no employees at the counter, and there was only one other customer. William sat at his table, crossing his legs.

He looked up at William over his glasses, eyebrows low. "Hi," He said shortly, immediately returning his attention to the notebook in front of him.  
William followed his gaze. He was writing tabs for, presumably, the bass. "Hi, I'm William."  
The boy's brown eyes flicked up again and he made a face. "The shop closes in ten minutes." He said in a monotone, setting his pencil down and adjusting his beanie.

William thought it was too warm for a hat. "I know. My friend told me to meet him here. Uhh, he's an employee." William answered, shifting in his seat. "You play bass?  
The boy nodded. "Yeah. Who's your friend?"  
"Um, Gabe." William replied, tucking his hair behind his ears the best he could.  
The boys eyes softened. He pushed his glasses up absentmindedly, shutting his notebook. "Oh, Gabe. I'm Mikey, by the way. I'm Gabe's manager's boyfriend." He held out a delicate, bony hand.

William didn't like handshakes, but he complied. Mikey let go first, getting off his chair. He was shorter than William expected, but he decided not to comment on it. Mikey strolled behind the counter like he worked there, calling for someone named Pete.  
William wasn't sure if he was supposed to stay and watch Mikey's stuff or if he was supposed to follow him, so he just stayed still. He ran his finger up and down the spiral keeping Mikey's notebook together, biting his lower lip. He wanted to open the notebook really bad, but knew he shouldn't.

"Wow," An unfamiliar voice behind him caused William to jump, turning quickly in his seat. "Oh, he is adorable, Gabey." The voice belonged to a startlingly short man. He had the beginnings of an emo fringe plastered to his forehead and his hands shoved into his pockets. He looked older than William, and donned an apron with a nametag: Pete. Mikey was standing next to him, nudging Pete's arm with his elbow.  
Gabe rushed out from behind the counter, cackling. "Isn't he a pretty little thing?" He concurred, sauntering over to William and winking at him.

William was startled. "I- uuuum." He hesitated, looking up at Gabe. "What?"  
Pete smiled at him, revealing straight white teeth. He slipped his hand into Mikey's, swinging their arms as he spoke, "Sorry, that was rude. I'm Pete. You're William? Gabe's been mentioning you all day." He explained, bouncing on his heels.  
William's eyes widened. "We-...I-I just met him today-" He said, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. He was far too uncomfortable to continue his sentence, deciding just to stay quiet. He glanced to Mikey, who was leaning into Pete slightly. So, Pete must be Gabe's manager.

Gabe nodded, "Doesn't mean I told my dear friend about you. Especially not when I heard you'd be coming to see me at work." He went on, putting his weight on one foot and cocking his hip out.  
"He's only said good things," Pete added, still smiling.  
William felt relatively overwhelmed. He couldn't tell if Gabe was flirting with him, or if that's just how he always acted. If it were the former: why? If it were the latter: he needed to chill on making William feel like he was being seduced. No one went after William. Oh, he was decent-looking, if you were into that kind of boy. The kind of boy who's been mistaken as a girl more than once, the kind of boy who was too skinny and too tall, the kind of boy who stutters when he felt anything more than apathy, the kind of boy who would lie to you your whole life. 

Gabe wasn't that kind of boy. Gabe was masculine enough, and he was tall but it suited him perfectly. He spoke smoothly no matter what, and as far as lies go? Well, William didn't want to imagine Gabe lying. Gabe seemed like he wouldn't fuck you over. Gabe was, in one phrase, out of William's league. Far out of it.  
William wasn't sure if he minded that or not. 

Pete was talking to Mikey about something and Gabe was quiet, looking at William. William caught his eye and tried to express his discomfort: Gabe didn't pick up on it. "Wanna come with us downtown, William?" He asked.  
"Umm, sorry. I need to get-t home." William answered. "I have homework-"  
Pete snorted, amused. "Aww, he's a good student. Didn't school start today?"  
Gabe bobbed his head. "Yepp. But William's doing what I'm neglecting to do, so I'll let him go. He's a smart boy." He added teasingly.

William slid out of his chair, cramming his hands into his pockets. "It was nice to meet you two. I'm sorry I'm weird. Um..." He bit his lip and put his head down, walking out of the cafe before anyone could answer.  
He didn't feel like walking all the way home. He didn't really feel like doing anything. He couldn't believe how much he sucked at making friends. _Tomorrow's another day_ , he reminded himself.  
"Hey, _cariño_. Need a ride?"  
William turned, sighing. Gabe smiled back at him, walking over. "You look a li'l lonely." He continued.  
"I guess." William mumbled.  
~*~

Gabe drove some little old green car, with a misfiring cylinder and half-dead brakes. William tenatively gave Gabe his address, and they were on the way.  
"Do you have a nickname? William is so long." Gabe said, his eyes flicking to William.  
"Not really. Sometime's Bill, but I'm not too fond of it." William answered, staring out the window.  
Gabe made a face. "I see why. I'll figure out one for you, trust me. Better than Bill."

The car fell utterly silent, unsettling William more than he'd care to admit. "Turn left." He said quietly as they came to an intersection.  
Gabe flipped his blinker and followed William's directions to his house. "You're making things awkward." He said conversationally.  
William frowned. "No, I'm not. You're the one not talking. Anyway, that's my house." He concluded sharply. Gabe pulled in front, putting the car in park.

William unbuckled his seatbelt and opened the passenger door, moving to get out. "Thanks for the ride. Sorry if it was too awkward for you." He said sarcastically.  
"Hey, wait." Gabe said softly, catching William off guard. When he turned back, Gabe put a hand on his cheek. "Sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. I probably shouldn't have said that."

William held his breath. Gabe's hand was warm against his face (or maybe that was just his face?). His thumb brushed over William's cheekbone a few times, dark eyes focused on William's lips.  
Oh no. William knew where this was heading. He opened his mouth to protest, right as Gabe leaned in and kissed him, hard and fast. William's eyes were open.

Gabe pulled back, keeping his forehead against William's. "Go do your homework, cariño. I'll see you tomorrow." He breathed.  
"W-w-we just-t..." William thought he was shaking. "I-"  
"I know." Gabe cut him off, kissing William's nose and leaning back. "Homework, pretty boy." He reminded him, smiling.  
William hoped he didn't look as bewildered as he felt. "Yeah..." He said, getting out of the car. "Umm, yeah. T-t-t-t-tomorrow." He took a deep breath, trying to not stutter as he closed the door and continued. "Thanks."

Gabe laughed. "God, you are so much." He shook his head, putting his car in drive. "Tomorrow, Bilvy." He winked, waved, and was gone.  
William stood on the curb a second, too stunned to move. When he did, he ran into his house and upstairs before any of his family could question him, effectively locking himself in his room.  
He laid back on his bed, staring at the ceiling. Gabe was definitely flirting. And God, since when did kissing a boy you met earlier that day become a thing?

William put a hand to his lips, thinking about how warm Gabe's were. He could feel himself becoming very swiftly infatuated with Gabe already, and he sort of hated himself for it.  
Tomorrow's another day.


	4. Chapter 4

_"You look so alive; do you fancy sitting down with me maybe?  
Because you're all I need."_  
-T.N.S.F

Gabe endured about an hour of harassment (courtesy of Pete and Mikey, of course) before he finally went home: only to have his father on him the moment he stepped inside.  
"Have you done as you were instructed?" He asked immediately.  
Gabe walked past him, head down. "He's not dead, if that's what you're asking." He answered quickly.  
"I would not expect him to be."  
"Well, he's not. He won't be for awhile, I don't think. Can we talk about this tomorrow? I'm really tired." Gabe sighed, moving to his room and shutting the door behind him before his father could pry anymore.

Gabe _was_ tired, but he also didn't want to discuss killing William. All he could think about was how William tensed up when Gabe kissed him, how he didn't bother to press back or push Gabe away. No, all he did was freeze like a deer in headlights. Gabe thought he might've shook a little bit too, by the time he got out of the car.  
Gabe didn't know why he kissed him. Maybe it was just to feel like he controlled something in his life. Not that he controlled William; he barely knew William. William just wasn't a fighter, and Gabe was.

Gabe thought about how William spoke. He had a smooth voice, except when he stuttered. He got stuck on letters and sounds, and either had to push through it or stop talking to rethink his words. Gabe could tell it frustrated him. But the few times when William didn't stutter, he spoke like he was in a play or something. His voice was...theatrical. That was the only way Gabe could describe it. Always quiet, but theatrical nonetheless.  
Gabe was unfalteringly loud and confident when he talked, even if it was faked.

Gabe sat on his bed and rubbed his eyes. He shouldn't have kissed William, and he shouldn't be thinking about wanting to do it again sometime.   
_Kill your feelings before they get too bad._

~*~  
William was only vaguely uncomfortable.   
He was far more uncomfortable an hour ago when he went inside. Now, he just felt regret. He wished he would've kissed Gabe back instead of just sitting there, motionless. Now it was too late, and Gabe would probably never try to kiss him again.   
William pulled his covers up over his head. He shouldn't want Gabe to kiss him, anyway. He's known Gabe less than twenty-four hours. But he _did_ want it, really bad. And he'd probably let Gabe do more than kiss him, but that was just teenage lust bullshit.   
What really made William uncomfortable was how easy it was for Gabe to win William over. He was just a little too smooth.  
William vowed to be a bit more careful around Gabe.

 

William drove to school the next morning, feeling just a little odd. He didn't want to see Gabe almost as much as he did. It made him a little nauseated thinking about it. He trudged into school nonetheless, feet dragging only a little bit.   
He struggled through pre-calc, sitting with Sisky and talking in hushed tones.  
"Guess what," William whispered, focusing on his notebook.   
Sisky leaned closer, doodling a flower on William's notebook paper. "What?"  
William shoved Sisky's hand, and pencil, away. "Gabe kissed me last night." He said, side-eyeing his friend.  
Sisky's eyes went wide, and he started grinning. "The kid from lunch? You're kidding me-"  
"William, Adam, what is the function for arcsine distribution?" Ms. Robinson cut him off, standing in front of their table.

Ms. Robinson was approximately two hundred years old and the strictest teacher William had ever dealt with, and it was only day two. "Uhh. F x equals two over pi..." William mumbled, scribbling the function on the paper.  
Ms. Robinson watched him bullshit the rest, her beady eyes squinted even further. “Add one half. You’re on the right track.” She said, walking to go harass another student.  
Sisky was on William's case the moment she was out of earshot. "How? Why didn't you call me?"  
William squirmed a bit in his seat. "He just d-d-did it. Um, I don't know. And bec-cause I went t-to sleep after it happened. Well, not like _right_ after it hap-p-pened, but you know."  
Sisky rolled his eyes. "Sure. You just didn't want me to know." He joked.  
"I told you, didn't I?" William allowed himself a small laugh. 

Sisky was quiet, continuing to draw on William's notebook. "Was it a good kiss?" He spoke up finally, glancing at William.  
William felt his face getitng warm. "Uh, well, not exact-ct-t-ly." He rubbed his eyes. "I wasn't ready, so..." He shifted a bit under Sisky's gaze. "I didn't really k-kiss back."  
Sisky narrowed his eyes but gave a smug smirk. "Mhmm."  
"Seriously!" William protested as loudly as he dared without drawing Ms. Robinson's hawk eyes to him.   
"Bet you wanted to though. Bet you regret it." Sisky teased, because he knew William well enough to know that he was entirely right.  
William couldn't bring himself to reply.

 

William breezed through the rest of his classes. He was told about his upcoming project in Music already, in which he'd have to write a song with a classmate. Like, lyrics and music and the whole work. William hoped he got stuck with one of his friends; he wasn't sure how well he could do with someone else. The project didn't begin until next Monday, so he had plenty of time to hope and pray to whatever Ultimate Being existed that he wasn't with someone he didn't know.  
Lunch was what he was both looking forward to and dreading simultaneously. He slid into his seat beside Butcher, just in time to hear Sisky outing him and his kiss to everyone present.

Mike snorted, cutting off his own laugh. "Damn, you just met the boy-"  
"Shhh! I t-told you it wasn't like I kissed back." William hissed, placing his arms on the table and resting his head on them. "It just happened. I don't know."  
He endured some more teasing until the conversation turned to the music project, and William stayed quiet. He felt exhausted and it was only noon. He was beginning to nod off when he felt hands on his waist, making him jump. He sat up straight and twisted to look behind him, but he should've already known who he'd see.   
Gabe smiled down at him. "Good day, _querido_." He said.

William stared up at him and couldn't help but smile, just a little. "Hey," He replied softly. He heard Sisky wheeze a little behind him and decided to ignore it.  
Gabe slid his hands off of William's sides to sit next to him, propping his elbows on the table and resting his chin in his hands. "So-"  
Mike leaned forward, just a little. "Hey, Gabe. Are you trying to court li'l Bill Beckett?" He asked, grinning.  
Gabe returned the expression whilst William wished he were anywhere but at this table. "Maybe, but I'm pretty interested in being his friend."  
"Interested in kissing him in the car after taking him home." Sisky spoke up, his entire face lighting up. Sisky thrived on harassing his friends.

William covered his face with his hands. "Stop," He wailed, trying not to laugh.  
Gabe was handling it expertly. "You got me there, but it's not like you can blame me. The only reason you guys don't kiss him is because you've been friends for too long." He gave William a sidelong glance. " _Él es muy bonito._ "  
William wishes he'd have taken Spanish instead of French. Only Mike took Spanish, and Mike was rolling his eyes.  
"I wouldn't say very, but okay." Mike scoffed, but it sounded good-natured.  
"Very what?" William asked, looking through his fingers at Mike.

Gabe's arm slid around William's waist again and William shifted slightly. He wanted to lean into him, but he didn't at the same time. "Pretty," Gabe answered.  
William raised his eyebrows but stayed quiet, dropping his hands back down to the table. Gabe seemed so _natural_ like this, claiming William without saying a word. William couldn't say he hated it. He actually liked it, just a little. It felt intimate, even if it was nothing, even if Gabe was most likely just fucking with him. If that were the case, William certainly wasn't fighting back. Heartbreak was to be expected by now in William's life. He was that kind of boy.

Gabe was tapping his side absently to some sort of designated beat William couldn't care less about. He closed his eyes for a moment, but found them relatively hard to open. Gabe pinched him, hard, and he jumped, eyes opening. "Wh-"  
Sisky was laughing. "You fell asleep. Lunch is over, kiddo." He said, getting up.  
William noticed Butcher and Mike were already gone, and the cafeteria was rapidly emptying. Gabe still held him loosely, smiling at him. "Hey, are you busy Saturday?" Gabe asked, fingers digging into William's side harder than he'd like.  
William twisted his body a bit, getting out of Gabe's grip to stand up. "Why?" He replied, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.   
"I was wondering if you'd wanna come over. My dad won't be home, so it won't be stressful or anything." Gabe suggested, looking up at William.  
So much for cautious. "I-I could probably do that. I mean, I'll hav-v-ve to ask." William took a deep breath, but nodded. "Yeah. Uhh, t-t-" He paused, already knowing he couldn't work out the word 'text' right now. It was one of the words that always caught him. "Message me your address." He finished slowly.

Gabe's face lit up. "Okay. Will do. I'll see you before then, I'm sure? Like tomorrow at lunch and shit obviously. I guess I'll see you when I see you."  
William waited to see if he was going to try to make a move. He didn't. "Ok-k-kay. Um, yeah. See you when I see you."  
~*~  
William felt unsettled standing on Gabe's porch. He lived in this Victorian-esque, pastel yellow house with white trim, his shitty green car parked outside. William rang the doorbell and waited, holding his breath. He felt overly-nervous.  
The door opened, and there was Gabe. His smile was enough to calm William just a little. "Hey!" He said, the door sliding open wider.  
"Hi," William waved a little, then clasped his hands behind his back. "Uhh, how're you?"  
Gabe laughed, just a bit. "I'm okay. Do you want to come in?"   
William hated going into new people's houses, but he stepped inside anyway. Gabe closed the door behind him, not breaking eye contact.

William glanced around a bit. It was a nice house, but it felt impersonal. Unlived in. It made William uneasy. "Do only you and your dad live here?"  
"Mostly," Gabe nodded. "My brother usually stays with my mom, so it's just us." He answered, walking away.  
William followed him, into what was presumably a living room. He wanted to ask if Gabe's parents were divorced, but he was pretty sure he knew the answer. Gabe turned to look at him again. "What'cha wanna do?"  
William shrugged. "I dunno..." He said softly, shifting a bit. If he hated going into people's houses, he really despised choosing what do do whilst in people's houses.

Gabe looked William up and down. He was wearing this stupidly tight blue t-shirt that looked like it was just a bit too short, and jeans with that bandana around his right leg. He looked a little more than simply 'cute', and Gabe had to remind himself that William was nothing more than a target. Still, he couldn't help human attraction. He figured William could probably attract anyone if he wanted, he just didn't know it.  
"Well, it's five pm on a Saturday. I say we watch movies. Have you ever seen Tremors?" Gabe suggested, sitting on the couch.  
William sat beside him, crossing his legs at the knee. "Uh, no. But I'm down for it." He said.  
Gabe beamed. "Oh man, it sucks. Not even Kevin Bacon could save it." 

 

The movie was about giant underground worms terrorizing a desert town, and it was pretty terrible. William wasn't really paying attention by halfway through, with Gabe pressed against his side and his hand on William's thigh. His hand felt warm, just like it did on William's face nearly a week ago. William inhaled sharply, remembering Gabe's lips on his.  
"You alright?" Gabe asked, moving his thumb against the denim covering William's leg.  
"'Uhh? Yeah, I'm j-just fine." William nodded, turning his head towards Gabe. Gabe was far closer than he expected, face illuminated by the orange'ish light the TV was setting out. William sort of felt like he couldn't breathe. He wondered briefly if that just meant he liked Gabe, or if it meant he was having an anxiety attack.

Gabe bit his lower lip, eyeing William closely. "Hey, Bilvy?" He started, tapping his fingers against William's leg.  
William inclined his head slightly, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah?"  
Gabe didn't hesitate in the slightest. "Could I kiss you? I mean, I already did. But it...it wasn't good."   
William knew it was coming eventually. His heart was beating so hard he thought he might be sort of dying on Gabe's weird green couch. "I-I-...y-y-y-" He closed his eyes and huffed. Gabe could tell he was frustrated with his stutter again, so Gabe stayed quiet and let him work through it. "Y-y-yes." He finished slowly his eyes opening again.

Gabe cupped William's face gently, like he was afraid he'd break him or something. William's hands were visibly trembling as he brought them to Gabe's shoulders, his breath coming in short gasps. "P-p-p-please." William added, leaning in, but waiting.  
"You're so pretty," Gabe said, pressing his forehead to William's. "I tell you a lot, but you are. I'll shut up now," He gave in at William's pleading face, pressing his lips to William's. It was like last time, but unbelievably better. William wasn't frozen this time; he was shaking, but he was reciprocating pretty readily.   
Gabe wasn't sure how far Gabe would let him push it, but Gabe liked to push boundaries. He pushed William back onto the couch, positioning himself above William.  
William didn't fight back, just squeezed his eyes shut and made soft noises. He couldn't believe he was doing this with Gabe in Gabe's home where he lives and stuff. He tried to consider that more, think about how Gabe probably hangs out with his dad on this couch, but then Gabe pushed his thigh between William's legs and anything but that faded from William's mind.

It was a little more than kissing, but Gabe found he didn't mind at all. He braced his arms on either sides of William's head and pulled back, nudging his nose against William's. "I didn't know you had experience in the realm of making out, _corazon_."  
William laughed breathlessly, eyes fluttering open again. "Just a lit-t-tle b-bit." He answered, pale skin flushed completely.  
Gabe eased off of him, sitting back in the position he had been in. "Did you like that?" He asked.  
"D-did you?" William replied, staring at the ceiling. He felt drained. Tremors played quietly in the background.  
Gabe looked over at William, so thin and vunerable and _small_ , laying on his couch. His throat constricted momentarily. "Yeah, I did. A lot,"  
He watched William shift slightly. "Okay," William replied quietly, sitting up. "I...I missed Tremors."  
Gabe was quiet, then laughed startingly loud. "You didn't miss much."  
~*~  
Gabe made out with William two more times that night and William let him, because William hadn't felt anything that strong for someone in awhile. William was over-emotional at most times, but Gabe felt _different_. William also felt guilty, because Gabe could never know. Even though he felt he could trust Gabe, he knew he couldn't. He barely knew Gabe in perspective, but Gabe felt trustworthy.  
William kept his mouth shut.

Gabe watched as William brought his knees to his chin, wrapping his arms around them. "I'm so tired." He muttered, resting his forehead against his knees.  
"You should spend the night." Gabe proposed, reaching over to stroke William's hair.  
William shook his head. "Mom probably w-won't let me."  
Gabe sighed. "You should ask." He continued, wrapping his finger around a piece of William's hair and tugging a little.  
William's head snapped up. "That hurts!" He said, swatting Gabe away half-heartedly. "I'll message her, but she'll most likely say no." 

William's mom, by some grace of an ultimate being, said yes.   
"I don't have like...any pyjamas. Or anything." William pointed out, adjusting so he could lay his head on Gabe's lap.  
Gabe chuckled, running his fingers through William's hair again. "I have clothes, dipshit."  
"W-w-well, I'm gonna fall asleep on your lap-" William began, but Gabe nudged him off of himself.  
"Nope, you'll fall asleep in my bed. C'mon." He stood, extending a hand that William gladly took.

Gabe's bedroom wasn't a total wreck, and it was painted purple. Gabe shut his bedroom door and William waited near it as Gabe rummaged through his closet. "Here," He said, throwing a white and black striped shirt at William. William barely caught it, and felt a little awkward pulling off his own shirt, especially because Gabe was staring at him. "St-st-" William tried, but gave up, yanking Gabe's over his head. It felt soft, and it was slightly loose, which was different than what William was used to.  
Gabe smiled. "As for pants, uh, I'm not sure what I've got."  
"I can sleep in my jeans." William shrugged, feeling sheepish under Gabe's gaze. Not the first time.  
"Ha, not if I'm sleeping with you."

William froze. "Like...like...I c-c-can sleep on the c-c-c-couch-"  
Gabe shook his head. "No, I figured we'd just share my bed. Unless you don't want to. Which, like, that's cool too-"  
"No, no. I- sorry. That's f-f-fine." William shoved his hands in his pockets, averting his eyes as Gabe pulled off his shirt and changed into a different one.   
Gabe laughed, taking off his own jeans. "You're funny," He stated.  
"Why?"  
"I mean, we just made out for like an hour on my couch but you won't look at me shirtless." He shrugged. "And you seem nervous about the whole sleeping-together thing-"  
William protested as fast as he could. "I'm not used t-to this kind of stuff. I'm sorry."  
Gabe shook his head and motioned for William to come over, which William did, because he'd do most things for Gabe at this point. "Don't apologise. It's okay. And you can wear your jeans if you really, really want to, okay?" He brushed William's hair away from his face.

William nodded. "It's...it's okay. I'll be okay. Just-just- agh. Don't look at me!" He squeaked, pushing Gabe's shoulder.  
Gabe squawked a laugh and got into his bed, covering his eyes with his hands. "I'm not!"  
William unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans as fast as he could, yanking them down his legs and crawling into bed effeciently. Gabe uncovered his eyes, pulling his blankets up over them both. "See, you lived, didn't you?"  
"For now." William giggled as Gabe slung his arm over William's waist, pulling him closer.   
"Good. Sleep well, _muñeco_." He said softly, sneaking his hand under the side of William's shirt and rubbing a small circle into his skin.  
William had never fallen asleep so fast in his life.  
~*~  
The knife felt heavy and cool in Gabe's shaking hand as he poised it over the unconcious, supine figure in front of him. His breath caught in his throat as he lowered the blade, inches away from pale skin.   
Gabe heard his father in the back of his mind, _"Hijo mio, you know witches are heartless monsters. They only use people for their own benefit and gain,_ " and " _If you don't kill them, they'll kill you._ "  
He tightened his grip on the handle and took a deep breath.   
_Please don't scream._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> gotta love cliffhangers aaahaaaa


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I went and saw twenty one pilots on the 31st and it wAS LITERALLY AMAZING and i cried a whole bunch and Tyler was 20ft away from me at one point  
> I have been emotionally frazzled

_"I'm known for taking what I think I deserve,_  
and you're overdue."  
-C.S.

William woke with a start, his entire body jerking. Gabe's arm tightened around his torso. "Mm, you 'kay?" Gabe mumbled, blinking sleepily at William.  
Gabe's bedroom was lit with the sun shfting through the cracks of the blind, dust floating through the beams. William relaxed a fraction, realising where he was. "Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry," He sighed, rubbing his eyes. Gabe held him closer and William let his head fall against Gabe's shoulder. "Just night terrors."  
Gabe exhaled. "It's not night." He teased. His voice was rough and low, close to William's ear.  
William's lips curled against Gabe's shoulder. "Doesn't have t-to be." He answered. "What time is it?"

Gabe shifted slightly. "About seven in the morning." He replied. He wished William hadn't woken up so soon, but it was too late for that now. He felt an overwhelming sense of guilt after last night.

_Gabe could hardly hold the knife due to his trembling. His chest felt tight as he raised the knife. It should be easy to stab him, and if he did it well, William wouldn't scream. He gave a shuddery exhale, setting his weapon aside. He knew he couldn't. "Fuck." He growled to himself, watching William shift under the covers. He was sound asleep, his lips parted and his hair across his eyes._  
_Gabe paced at the foot of his bed. He couldn't believe it. Five years of training for nothing. His father was going to be livid. Gabe got back into bed beside William, pushing his hair away from his face. William stirred for a moment, but returned to his position._  
_"You have no fucking clue what you're doing to me." Gabe breathed, shaking his head._

Gabe pinched William's exposed hip, just to hear the breath shudder out of him against Gabe's shoulder. "T-t-too early." William mumbled.  
Gabe shrugged. "Well, now I can't get back to sleep." He eased William away, sitting up. "Wanna go eat somewhere?" He asked.  
William whined, rolling onto his back and looking at Gabe through half-closed eyes. "M'tired."  
Gabe stood and William watched him as he put on a pair of sweatpants, hanging low on his hips. "You can stay here. I could bring you back something."

William didn't want to be alone in Gabe's house, so he sat up. His head rushed a little bit and he huffed. "No, I'm coming." He got out of Gabe's bed and located his jeans, pulling them on with minor struggle. Gabe was tying on a pair of ratty white Converse whilst William slipped his boots on.  
"Wanna go to Denny's?" Gabe questioned, walking over to William.  
William shrugged. "I've never been."  
Gabe gasped, putting a hand over his own mouth. "Jesus Christ, how can you be from Chicago? I'm from Uruguay and Jersey, but I sure fuckin' know about Denny's. We gotta go now."  
William nodded. He really wasn't in a position to argue much, so he followed Gabe out to the green car.

~*~  
William looked beautiful in the lighting of the diner, wearing Gabe's shirt with his hair unbrushed and his eyes sleepy. He was resting his chin in his hand and smiling as Gabe told him stories about Gabe's friends. William looked too pretty to be human, Gabe thought. He figured it was because he was a witch. His father _did_ say witches had a way of charming people with their looks.  
"...So that's how I broke my arm. You've got any stories?" Gabe asked, beaming at William.  
William blinked drowsily. He did, but most of them involved witchy business or weren't worth telling. "Mm, nah. Not that I can think of right now." He answered, shifting in his seat. He rubbed his eyes as he continued talking, "I wonder who I'm getting for that music project tomorrow."

Gabe wasn't in music class, being a senior. "What music project?" He asked, but he was pretty sure he knew which project it was. He had it last year, and his partner was Frank Iero. Gabe didn't mind Frank, but Frank just wanted to solo the whole thing and have Gabe shake a plastic egg full of beads. It didn't work out that way in the end, but there was a lot of arguing to get their song out of Frank's world.  
"I have to write a song with a partner." William answered. "I hope I get Sisky or Mike or even Butcher. I already know we work well together." He sighed, shaking his head. "W-with my luck, I'll get someone who sucks. Like that pretentious asshole, Tyler." He cringed a little at his own words. Tyler was pretty sure he was the most poetic person in the world, and he only had a single friend; Josh Dun. Which really was a shame, because Josh was cool.  
Gabe laughed and nodded. "Yeah, I know that kid. He's just...so emo, man." 

William watched Gabe as he launched into his story about when he did the project. William sort of wasn't listening, but Gabe was so animated and he was grinning a lot, and it made William smile. He knew he couldn't go on like this, letting himself fall for Gabe. It felt a little too late by now, seeing as William had already slept in his bed and made out on his couch. 

After breakfast, they went back to Gabe's house where William changed into his own shirt (and he didn't mind Gabe watching his time) and got ready to head out before Gabe's father returned. Gabe caught William as he was walking towards the door to leave. "See you tomorrow, yeah?"  
William bobbed his head. "Yeah, definitely. I'll tell you who I got for that project."  
Gabe was nodding as he leaned in, pressing his lips to William's. William responded well, arms going around Gabe's neck. He stood on his toes a little to match Gabe's height, and Gabe pulled away, laughing. "You're cute." He said, his hands lingering on William's hips.  
William made a face, kissing Gabe softly. "I'm n-"  
"Shh." Gabe said, biting at William's lower lip. William sighed, resting his forehead against Gabe's and took a moment to remember this.  
" _Eres bello, muñeco_." Gabe sighed, easing away from William. " _Espero no caer en amor con usted_."  
William really wishes he took Spanish now. It sounded so beautiful coming from Gabe, and yet William had no idea what it meant. "Will you ever translate that stuff for me?" He asked, looking up.  
Gabe smiled, but shook his head. "Maybe someday, darling. Now get to running, won't you? Tell your mother you've been kissing lots of boys."  
William's cheeks went red and he squeaked a little, stepping back. "I-I-I w-w-w-won't t-tell her th-th-th-" He stumbled through his words whilst opening the door. "Uhh, I'll see y-you t-t-t-tomorrow." He added quickly, before rushing out of the house and off Gabe's porch.  
~*~  
Mr. Oliver was doodling names on a whiteboard with a green dry erase marker, talking as he did so. "As you know, you'll have a whole week to finish this. You'll be presenting your song next Monday," He was saying.  
Barrington High's music department was suffering lack of funding currently, and has been as long as William had attended the school Mr. Oliver was William's best teacher though; he was about thirty with a shaved head and he wore different coloured suits every day. Today, it was a metallic purple one.  
"So it better be decent. You have complete artistic freedom, but it must follow school policies to some extent." Mr. Oliver turned to his class, smiling. "Your partners are on the board. Good luck, kids." He stepped away from the board, going to sit at his desk.

William sat at his desk and waited for most of the kids to subside. Some seemed pretty happy, others not so much. When the area cleared, William walked over and searched for his name.  
' _William Beckett - Ryan Ross_ '  
William sighed. Ryan had been in his classes as long as he could remember, but he's never actually talked to him. Ryan sat with the theatre lighting technician, Jon, and Spencer. Spencer was a sophomore, but he was really advanced in music and helped Mr. Oliver with the plays and choir and everything. Ryan didn't do anything like that, to William's knowledge.

They still had fifteen minutes of class left where Mr. Oliver let them use the instruments and talk. Brendon Urie hopped on the piano and was playing Handel songs (his favourite). Brendon was one of those loudmouth theatre kids that thought everyone loved him when, in actuality, only his fellow loudmouth theatre kids really did. Brendon was talented, though; he had a surprisingly beautiful voice and could play essentially any instrument he wanted to.  
William caught Ryan's eye across the room and noted how Ryan's slender shoulders dropped just a fraction. William looked away, watching Brendon's fingers expertly press the keys whilst Spencer stared over his shoulder.  
"Hey," said a soft voice near him, and William turned to look down at Ryan. "William, yeah?"  
William tucked his hair behind his ears and smiled at Ryan. "Yeah, that'd be me. We're partners?" He questioned, but he knew the answer.  
Ryan nodded a bit. "I guess. I write songs, so, uh, we kinda have a base-"  
William duplicated his nod. "I do, too. What instruments do you play?"  
Ryan's face lit up a little at the question. "Guitar, mostly. But I can play piano, too. I can sing a little bit, but I'm not that good. You?"  
"Guitar and piano, too. I like to think I can sing okay, though." William shoved his hands into his pockets and bounched on his heels, giving Ryan a good once-over.

He was only a little bit shorter than William and slender, with long arms and fidgety hands. He had a sweet face and huge brown eyes, pretty pink lips, and a round nose. His hair was messy and sticking up in the back, and William couldn't tell if it was supposed to be. Ryan was in a grey hoodie, tight black jeans, and Converse that looked ready to be put out of their misery.  
William hadn't noticed Ryan was actually cute before. Not as cute as Gabe, but cute enough.  
Ryan was talking. "...anyway, do you wanna come over after school to work on our project? I'm busy on Tuesday and Thursday, so uh, we only have a few days to do it."  
William tried not to make a face. Tuesday and Thursday? "Sure, yeah. I'll bring my guitar and songbook and everything. What's your address?"

Ryan shifted his weight a bit, glancing at Brendon and biting his lower lip. "Should I write it down? You'll forget it."  
"I won't." William promised, but followed Ryan's gaze.  
Ryan didn't answer for a moment, then apparently snapped out of whatever trance he was in. "927 Orchard. It's on the south side."  
William wasn't fond of south side. Mike lived in a ran down apartment on south side, and William's mother never let William go and see him when he was younger. He was never permitted to go trick-or-treating on south side when he did that kind of stuff. Even at seventeen, he was uncomfortable with the area. The crime level was extremely high, and William - like most people - wasn't too eager to deal with high-crime. He nodded anyway. "Okay, I'll be over about four, if that's cool?"  
Ryan smiled a fraction. "Cool."

 

William saw Gabe at lunch, at a table with his friends. William elected not to say anything, but waved as he began passing by. Gabe gave him a huge grin and waved back, and the only girl at Gabe's table squeaked outloud, "William!"  
William paused, standing at the end of their table. He didn't recognise her in the slightest, and figured she was a senior like Gabe. She was pretty in that way William never really noticed. She had shoulder-length black hair and blunt bangs and bright blue eyes, traced by eyeliner. She was currently giving William a blinding smile, excitement written all over her face. "Hi!" She continued, gauging William's expression. "Sorry, Gabe's told us all so much about you-"  
Gabe made a noise, somewhere between exasperation and amusement. He looked up at William and smiled, reaching over to touch William's arm. William leaned into his touch without really thinking about it. "All bad things, I'm sure?" William joked.  
The girl shook her head, still beaming with her 1000-watt smile. "No, just about how pretty and nice and quiet you are." She said, eyes not leaving William's. He dropped eye contact as she kept going, instead looking at Gabe who was, in turn, looking at the girl.

"Let the kid go, Vicky, for fuck's sake." A boy with a round face chimed in from across the table.  
William shot him a grateful look, but nodded at Vicky. "Y-yeah, uh, it was nice meeting you...?" He said quietly. Gabe's fingers tightened around William's wrist, tugging his arm down so he'd lean forward into Gabe. Gabe's lips met his for a gentle kiss, too brief for William's taste. "See you around, cutie." Gabe whispered, winking up at William.  
William thought his heart skipped a beat as he walked away from Gabe's table in favour of his own. He floated through the typical conversations, wondering if Gabe thought William was his boyfriend. William honestly had no idea if they were really dating: maybe he should talk to Gabe about that.

~*~  
William drove to Ryan's house, a tiny nondescript grey house with white shutters. The grass was dry and crunchy under William's feet as he crossed through the yard to get to the porch, guitar case slung across his back. He went to press the doorbell, until he spotted the weathered sticky note above it: ' **DOORBELL BROKEN - PLEASE KNOCK** '. Only midly unsettled, William knocked a few times on the door, Ryan's face appearing in the little window and scaring William half to death. The door swung open and Ryan looked at him with big eyes. "Hi," He said quietly, like he was trying to not wake someone up. "My dad's asleep. You should probably be quiet, he might beat my ass for waking him up."

William couldn't tell if it was a joke or not. It made his stomach twist at the throught. Ryan let him in, softly shutting the door behind him and quickly walking down a hall. William followed him down into what he presumed was a basement.  
"We could've went to my house. My parents wouldn't have minded," William said as Ryan flicked the light on, revealing his bedroom. "I don't want to bother your father-"  
Ryan shook his head. "Nah, it's cool. We're fine down here. I thought he had work, but I was wrong. Anyway, even if he was disturbed, he's too drunk to come down the stairs without falling." He paused, shifting uncomfortably. "I'm sure you don't wanna hear about my family life."  
William still felt sick. "N-n-no, uhh, like, does-does he r-r-r-really-"  
Ryan watched William as he struggled, unsure if he should fill in the words for him. It hadn't even occurred to Ryan that William had a stutter, and honestly, Ryan had never dealt with anyone who stuttered. He stayed quiet as William worked through his sentence. "D-does he hit you?" He finished, his expression grave.

Ryan's eyebrows shot up and he immediately regretted mentioning anything like that when he opened the door. "Not really your business," He answered coolly, turning away from William to dig through piles of noteboks near his bed. He thought he was safe for a moment until William started speaking again.  
"Yeah, b-b-but if he d-does, someone has t-t-t-to know-"  
Ryan shook his head. "Listen, I'm sorry, but I don't really know you. Don't pretend to be concerned in my family life, _honey_." He hissed the last word, pulling out a purple journal and flipping it open. He sat on his bed and glanced at William, right as William opened his mouth to argue. "Can we work on this fucking song, please?"  
William took his guitar off his back and propped it up on Ryan's mattress. "Okay," He sighed, giving in to sit on Ryan's bed in front of him.  
Ryan held the journal out. "This is my poetry book. They almost all rhyme, so I thought we could do something with maybe a few of them."

William held the notebook carefully, flicking the cover open. The pages were loaded with messy handwriting in black ink, both front and backs of pages. "' _Things are shaping up to be pretty odd, little deaths in musical beds. So it seems I'm someone I've never met_.' That's really cool," He read aloud. Ryan's poems were all bordering on the annoying side of pretentious, but they were well-written. One that was particularly standing out to William was a page with ' _NORTHERN DOWNPOUR_ ' on the top. "Northern Downpour?" William glanced over to Ryan.  
Ryan was watching William read. "Sends its love." He answered, seeing William's lips quirk upward.  
William had no idea what it meant, but it sounded kind of cool. "I like it, all of it. It's really good." He shut the journal and got his own notebook out of his guitar case, an old worn-down book missing too many pages to count. "A lot of these are old. S-start from the back." He said, cautiously handing it to Ryan. No one had ever read his lyrics, and it made him nervous.

Ryan's lips moved as he read, but his face remained neutral. "I like how you write. You're like... _really_ bitter, though. Like all these songs are lost hopes and things that will never be."  
William bit his lip. "So, like my life."  
Ryan's eyes snapped up to meet William's. "Chop Chop is good." He said, flipping the cover shut. "Even if it's not finished. Who's got you feeling like that?"  
William's face burnt, his heart rate accelerating. "I- w-w-well -" He squirmed. It was the most recent one in his notebook, only taking up a few lines. He wrote it after getting home from Gabe's yesterday. "W-wh-who'd you w-write Northern D-d-d-d-downp-pour ab-b-bout?" He stammered, giving Ryan an accusing look.  
Ryan seemed startled, like he didn't expect the question. His eyes narrowed slightly, but he smiled at the same time. "Tell me who yours is about and I'll tell you who mine's about." He stated.  
It was unbelievably immature, but William was going to cave. "G-g-g-gabe Sap-p-port-ta." He managed, seeing how Ryan's face brightened.  
"Really? I can see that. I mean, I guess he's cute enough. So tall, though." Ryan paused, giving William a staredown. "So are you, though, so that works."  
William's face felt warm. "T-tell me yours."

Ryan cringed at the demand. It's not that he didn't want to tell people - well, actually, he guessed he didn't. But William seemed trustworthy. "Don't tell anyone, okay?" Ryan said desparately.  
William made a face and rolled his eyes. "Tell me." He said.  
Ryan wasn't one to blush, but it sure felt like he was. "Brendon-" He didn't get to finish the name as William laughed, sharp and loud.  
William really was expecting Ryan to say the name of a girl, not Loudmouth Urie. Ryan was so cool and mysterious and quiet and Brendon was all out there, all the time. "Really?" William pried, leaning forward a bit. He liked this, liked being with Ryan. Ryan felt like a friend.  
"Yes, really. Shut up! Don't laugh! He's...he's just so beautiful. I don't know. Unattainable, too. And I think he's straight, so that kinda doesn't help." Ryan shifted a little, sighing. "I just adore him and he doesn't even really realise I'm there."  
William fidgeted with the hem of his shirt, thinking. Brendon was all over the place, flitting from person to person. It wouldn't surprise William if Ryan was right - Brendon might know everybody, but he didn't really have friends. He had a million acquaintances, but no true friends. "So make him." He suggested.  
Ryan laughed humourlessly. "Uh, like I haven't?"

William and Ryan spent the next few hours discussing their relationships, like kids at a sleepover. William's face hurt from smilling by the time he went home. They hardly got any work done but William was ocming back over on Wednesday, and he couldn't wait. He drove home in silence, thinking about Ryan and how obviously in-love he was with Brendon. William's thoughts went to Gabe, about how he wasn't sure if he was really dating Gabe.  
Once parked outside, he pulled his phone out and dialed Gabe's number. It rang twice before he answered. " _Hola, querido! Cómo estás_?" He exclaimed.  
William at least recognised the hello. "Gabe, I have a question." He answered, not returning the greeting.  
"Shoot." Gabe answered promptly.  
"W-what are w-w-we d-d-doing?" He asked softly, broken by his stutter.  
Gabe was quiet on the other line. "What do you mean?" He replied finally, his tone conversational.  
"Like-like, are w-we dat-t-ing? Or are w-w-w-we just making out p-platonically?" He slightly joked.  
Gabe chuckled. "I figured we were kind of a thing when I made you moan on my couch-"  
William made a startled noise, his face burning. "Shh!" He hissed, getting out of his car and walking up to his porch. "I-"  
"Didn't you like it?" Gabe teased. "When I-"  
"St-st-st-stop t-t-t-talking." William interrupted, unlocking his front door and rushing upstairs. He felt flustered at the memory of Gabe pinning his wrists into the couch cushion, his thigh between William's legs. No clothes were removed, but it was still a first for William. "Anywa.y So. B-b-boyfriends?"  
"Yeah. Boyfriends."


	6. Chapter 6

_"I opened up my eyes,  
and found myself alone, alone, alone."_  
-T.C.

William didn't like Tuesdays, he was deciding. Gabe - his _boyfriend_ \- worked every Tuesday, and Ryan was out doing whatever Ryan does. Mike and Butcher had swim team. Sisky was probably asleep, so William decided not to bother him. He looked pretty down in the dumps at school. Therefore, William trapped himself in his bedroom, staring at his song notebook.  
"William, sweetie, can I come in?"  
He snapped the notebook shut, shoving it aside. "Yeah, sure mom." He answered, watching the door swing open.  
His mother sidled in, shutting the door behind her. "You know, the Elderwinter coven really wants you. You keep getting letters." She spoke, sitting beside him.  
   
William tried not to cringe. Covens never felt particularly appealing to him. Most covens in Chicago and the surrounding area wanted him (yes, all three of them). Elderwinter was the most prestigious, and therefore, his last choice. He nodded anyway. "Yeah, I know."  
She sighed. "Bill, I think it'd be good for you to think about it. You'd be around people like you. You'd be more free." She said.  
 _People like you_. "I-I know. I just...I don't want to live there." He said, wringing his hands. "I'd have to leave  you and my friends-"

Her expression softened and she squeezed his knee reassuringly. "Billiam, you choose whatever feels right to you. It's ultimately your life. Elderwinter is having a visitors weekend this Saturday and Sunday, which is what I came yo tell you." She explained, giving one of her Mom Looks.

A look that said ' _you should really go_ '. William shifted and sighed. "I-I guess I c-c-can go." He said quietly.   
She smiled and stood, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "Where'd the time go?" She shook her head, looking nostalgic. "God, you're getting so old."  
William smiled back, but he hated when she did this to him. It made him feel old. He shrugged in response, and his mom kissed his forehead gently. "I'll leave you alone. Love you." She said finally.  
"Love you too. "  
~*~  
Danielle Ross was a witch. Her daughters were witches. Her son...was not.  
Ryan didn't speak to his mother ever since she left him; left him with his alcoholic father in the shitty part of town and didn't even bother to call every once in awhile. All she left was a mere fraction of her magical abilities. Ryan was magic-sensitive, and it never really came in handy until he met William Beckett.  
William was so saturated in magic, it was almost tangible. He hid it well; there's no way Ryan would've known if not for his own bit of magic. Ryan debated not informing William he knew, but he didn't feel like pretending he didn't know.  
"You know," Ryan began as William sat on the ground crosslegged, guitar on his lap. William looked up curiously, tipping his head to the side as he waited. Ryan didn't have time to reconsider bringing it up until he blurted out a quick "I know you're a witch."

William's back straightened, eyebrows raising. His hand tightened around the neck of his guitar as he stared at Ryan, eyes huge now. "W-w-what? I-"  
"You don't have to lie. I'm magic sensitive, so I can see through the bullshit." Ryan shrugged. "I don't care that you are. I just figured you should know that I'm aware."  
William took a deep breath, willing his heart to slow down. "Y-you're not gonna t-t-t-tell anyone, a-are you?" He stuttered.  
Ryan felt the fear practically rolling off him and felt a little bad, shaking his head. "No, I won't. There'd be nothing I'd gain out of it, right?" He paused, brushing his hair away from his eyes. William stayed quiet, so Ryan continued. "Does Gabe know?"

William's breath caught in his throat. "Uh," He stalled, shifting. "N-no. No one does." He replied.   
"Will he? He's your boyfriend, after all." Ryan pried. It was making William a little uncomfortable.   
"P-p-probably. Eventually." William lied, strumming a few chords on his guitar to fill the following silence. He couldn't believe Ryan knew his secret, something he's kept under wraps for years. Ryan was slightly questionable, even if William considered him a friend; he wasn't positive that Ryan wouldn't out him. Ryan didn't look like he was going to add anything, so William kept playing his guitar.   
"Good chord progression." Ryan said finally. "What is that?"  
"Nothing interesting." William shook his head, feeling his phone vibrate in his pocket. Expecting his mother, he was surprised to see a message from Gabe:  
' _babyyy come visit me at work_ '

William's lips quirked into a small smile as he pushed his phone back into his pocket. "Do you like coffee?"  
Ryan's left eyebrow raised. "I could take or leave it. Why?" He asked, eyes narrowing.  
"Because my boyfriend wants to see me."  
~*~  
Soundtrack was dead by 6PM, and Gabe couldn't stand it. Mikey was sitting on the front counter, legs swinging over the side. Pete was nearby, hand on his boyfriend's thigh, looking at his phone.   
"We should just close early." Travie said from the kitchen where he was washing dishes. Gabe was counting the drawer.   
Pete looked up, squeezing Mikey's leg. Mikey rolled his eyes, placing his hand over top of Pete's gingerly. "Do you want your hours?" Pete asked rhetorically, eyeing Travie.   
Travie sighed. Gabe shut the register. "William's coming by." He stated, gauging reactions. Mikey was impassive, but Pete started grinning.   
"I love him, he's adorable." Pete said excitedly. It wasn't hard to get Pete excited.  
Mikey's thumb brushed over the top of Pete's hand lightly, focusing on Gabe. "That's cool, will he chill out this time?"  
Gabe smiled, shaking his head. "Probably not, but we can hope."

Travie dried the dishes and put them away before he tapped Gabe's shoulder. "William's the devil's bitch yeah?" He asked in a whisper. The McCoys were a witch-hunting family, not as hardcore as Gabe's family. Travie had elected to not train to follow his parent's footsteps, something Gabe was beginning to envy. However, Travie still wasn't big on witches.  
Gabe cringed a bit at the slur. "Don't call him that." He said, grimacing. Travie looked apologetic. "He's just...he's just a witch. That's it."  
"That's cool, man. Sorry about that, kinda slid out. Old habits die hard." He replied, glancing to the door. "Kid could probably kick my ass." He added.  
Gabe had never thought about how powerful William most likely was. It was odd, acknowledging that he could definitely murder Gabe in mere seconds.

Gabe heard the door open and close, William and Ryan entering. William smiled as he made eyecontact with Gabe, walking over to the counter. "Hi guys," He said softly.  
Mikey waved and Pete beamed. "Hey!" He replied. Ryan approached slower, staying partly behind William.  
" _Guillermo! Mi querido_!" Gabe exclaimed, swinging around the counter and letting his arms slip around William's waist, pulling him closer.  
William braced his hands on Gabe's chest, giggling. His face felt a little warm at the sudden display of affection, but then Gabe pressed his lips against William's for a soft kiss. If he wasn't blushing earlier, he definitely was now.  
Gabe slid his hands into William's back pockets briefly, just to hear the boy squeak. He jerked away quickly, eyes big. "D-d-don't do that." He whispered, and Gabe smiled in response.   
" _Te deseo_." Gabe answered vocally, albeit quietly.  
William didn't bother to ask _what_ this time.

 

The remainder of the time spent at Soundtrack included Travie and Ryan exchanging knowing glances, Pete giving a convincing Freddie Mercury impression through a dramatic a capella of Bohemian Rhapsody (making Mikey snort-laugh), and Gabe poking at William just to vex him.    
"What'cha doing this weekend, Bilvy?" Gabe asked, fingers twisting in William's hair, creating a sloppy braid.  
William sighed, closing his eyes. "Going out of town until Monday. Why?"  
Gabe kissed the back of William's neck. "'Cause I want you to come over. When do you leave?"  
His tone made William feel a little excited. "Uhh...a lit-t-tle aft-ter school."  
Gabe's lips curved against William's skin. "Come over if you can, okay? It'll be worth it."

Pete's sonic bat-hearing kicked in, and he laughed. "Wow, good job, Bilvy. You've seduced Gabriel Saporta. It's not an easy feat, trust me."  
Mikey rolled his eyes some, intertwining his fingers with Pete's. "Yeah, but you have me." He commented.  
Pete kissed Mikey's nose. "That I do, baby boy."  
Ryan tried not to let out exasperated noises. He really didn't come for the PDA, and neither did Travie from the looks of it. "Hey, speaking of you bailing for the weekend, we should probably work on the song." Ryan reminded William, in a passive-aggressive sort of way.  
William paused, but inclined his head slightly. "Yeah, of course. Okay, uh, well, I'll see you at school, yeah?" He asked to Gabe, who smiled and nodded.   
"See you then, baby."  
~*~  
William's chest felt tight as he knocked on Gabe's door that Friday. He and Ryan finished the song during music class today, so his nerves could be off that and on whatever Gabe had planned. He wasn't too excited to go to Elderwinter, but that was a whole different thought process, and he should be focusing on this.  
Gabe smiled as he opened the door, looking down at William. "You came!" He exclaimed, gripping his wrist and tugging him inside. William nearly tripped, stumbling into Gabe as he closed the door.   
"D-did you have a p-p-p-plan for t-today?" William asked, feeling Gabe's fingers tighten slightly around his wrist.   
"I had an _idea_  for today." Gabe answered, kissing William's face a few times. "If you're down, that is."  
Gabe's lips felt warm against his skin. "Maybe, what is it?" He prompted, pulling away to look up at him. 

Both of Gabe's hands went to William's hips, pushing the hem of his shirt up a bit. "Well, _mi corazón_ , I'm not sure how to put it delicately." He said, rubbing circles on William's skin.   
William's breath quickly brecame uneven and shuddery. He felt the same anxiety rising in his chest as he did the last time he and Gabe did this. "Then d-d-don't." He said softly, punctuated by a gasp as Gabe pinched him, hard. He felt like he knew where this was going.  
Gabe rested his forehead against William's. "I want to make you mine. Completely." He said, barely above a whisper.  
William's eyes fluttered shut. "Y-you w-w-want t-to-to-" His eyebrows furrowed in frustration, followed by a deep breath. "Fuck."  
Gabe couldn't tell if that was an unrelated statement or the end of his sentence. "Not so rough." He answered, reaching up his left hand to stroke his boyfriend's hair lovingly. "Would you be okay with that?"

William froze, squeezing his eyes shut tighter. That was the question of the day. William was a virgin, completely. But Gabe would never hurt him, never make him do something he didn't want to do. And to be so close to Gabe, closer than he'd ever been to anyone before...  
He was still scared.  
He didn't realise how difficult breathing had become until Gabe was hushing him and rubbing his shoulders. "It's okay, _muñeco_. We don't have to."  Gabe whispered, hugging him close.  
William opened his eyes. "N-n-no, I-I-I want t-to." He spoke up, willing his breathing to even out.  
"If you change your mind, tell me. Got it?" Gabe said seriously, tilting William's face up.  
William swallowed the excess of saliva in his mouth. "Yeah, got it."

 

Gabe was experienced, but everything was more complicated than William initially expected. It didn't hurt then, but he was sore now, laying in Gabe's bed with him. Even his hair hurt from Gabe's constant tugging (which William gladly agreed to let him do, so he couldn't complain).   
"How do you feel?" Gabe asked, nudging William who was starting to doze off.  
William jumped slightly, rubbing his eyes. "Tired, ache'y. Really, really happy." He turned on his side, facing Gabe and smiling lazily. "Gabriel, Gabriel, Gabriel..." He sighed in a dreamy sort of way. His eyes widened a bit in realisation. "I love you."

Gabe shoot his head. "No you don't. Not yet, Bilvy. Just wait." He patted William's hand and wondered why he was so afraid of love; William wondered if it really was love. He'd never been in love before. This was all infatuation, Gabe told himself silently.   
William realised Gabe could never love him at the same time Gabe realised William meant it. He loved him.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> it's short, but it's halloween!!! i had to update!!

"So keep the blood in your head,  
and keep your feet on the ground."  
-B.N.

William rested his head against the car window, eyes closed. His ass was sore and the bumpy road wasn't helping.

"Something on your mind?" His mother asked, her voice sounding faint despite her being right beside him, white-knuckling the wheel. "Are you nervous?"

William exhaled noisily as they hit another pothole. "Not really." He answered. At least everyone at the coven would be witches: they'd only had to get used to his stutter. "Can I tell you something?"

She nodded, taking a left turn. "Of course, sweetie. What's wrong?"

William opened his eyes, faintly noticing that they were in an rural area that he was extremely unfamiliar with. "So, uhh, I might have a b-boyfriend." He said quietly, waiting for his mother's gasp. It came promptly before a squeal.

William got lucky when he came out to his parents a few years prior; they weren't surprised and definitely didn't mind. He was just glad they didn't dump him on a street side somewhere. William figured Ryan's dad would do it to Ryan if he ever found out. The thought made William uncomfortable.

"Who is he?!" His mother asked excitedly, glancing at William briefly, bringing him back.

He smiled. "Uh, his names G-gabe, he's a senior. He's-he's really handsome and nice and he's tall."

She beamed. "How tall? Taller than you?"

William let out a light laugh, nodding. "By around two inches."

His mother proceeded to bombard him with questions the rest of the way to the coven, including some embarrassing ones about his sex life and how he needs to be safe. William left out the fact that he lost his virginity just a few hours ago. He promised his mom that he could meet Gabe soon, just as she pulled up to a large house.

"Well, here it is, Bill!" She exclaimed. She seemed more enthusiastic than William would or could ever be. "Do you need me to come in with you? Or do you have it?"

"Umm, I think I can handle it. Thanks, though." He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over to hug her awkwardly. "I'll see you Sunday night, yeah?"

She leaned back and sighed, smiling. "I can't believe how much you've grown, Bill." She said wistfully, then gave another sigh.  "Yep, Sunday night. Have fun!"  
William got his bag out of the backseat and waved to her, walking up to the front door of the coven. He rang the doorbell and waited a few short seconds before it swung open.

A woman not much older than him stood there, her lips blood red and her eyes lined in dark eyeliner. Her hair was completely black, and she looked sort of dead. Her eyes flicked him over, and she finally smiled. "Can I help you?" She asked in a friendly tone, her voice deeper than William anticipated.

"I'm-I'm...uhh, I'm here for the v-vi-visitors weekend...?" He stuttered and immediately wanted to go home. 

The woman nodded and let him in. "What's your name, dear?"

"William Beckett."

Her entire face brightened at that. "William Beckett! I should've known. Male witches are so rare, but we've always kept an eye on you. I'm Lindsey, and I'm the head of the Everwinter coven. Only have been for a few months, however, so things are still a little crazy."

William smiled politely as she led him through the house, which was surprisingly very average. Lindsey talked quite a bit, but never asked him questions, and William couldn't say he minded much. 

"Let's get you to meet the girls, and then we'll see what your abilities are, okay?" She said, phrsasing it as a question when it was really a statement. William just followed her like a puppy, dragging his luggage along.

They approached a sitting room of sorts, and William could hear chatter. It went silent when they stepped in, but started right back up. There were only three witches in the room, but it certainly sounded like more. William felt overwhelmed already.

"Oh my God," One of the girls commented, laughing and standing up. She seemed around Lindsey's age, and had dark brunette hair and curves. "He's cute, Lynz. A little bit young, though."

Lindsey rolled her eyes. "Leave him alone." She said lightheartedly. "William, this is Kitty. She is a graduated student, a year behind me. Meaning: she's twenty one years old, and you're - what? - sixteen? Seventeen? So just ignore her." She continued, but it was in a kind tone.

William figured they were close friends. "I, um, w-w-well I have a - uh - b-boy-boyfriend..." He stammered, then cleared his throat, opening his mouth to speak again.

Kitty cut him off. "Damn, first boy I've seen in a long time and he's gay." She stated teasingly, hands on her hips. "What a shame."  
Lindsey waved a dismissive hand at her and stepped closer to the two remaining on a couch. "Anyway, this is Hayley and Maja." She stated, motioning her hands as she spoke.

Hayley had bright orange hair and yellow eye-shadow on. She sort of reminded William of a comic book character, like she wasn't a real person. Maja was near probably Gabe's age, with wavy platinum hair and a delicate face. She looked like a model, if models were 5'4".

They both smiled up at him and Hayley said hi first. Maja spoke with an accent, but William couldn't place it.

"Hayley is extremely talented with fire; Maja with ice." Lindsey was saying, sitting down beside Kitty. "Kitty has clairaudience." She made eye contact with William, her expression intense. "I've heard male witches possess many powers. What do you have?"

William felt on display and very, _very_ uncomfortable. He shifted his weight, staring at his shoes. "A-all the elements, psychokinesis, poor transmutation, and a few halfway attempts at divination." He listed slowly. He could see Lindsey nodding in his peripheral.

"Incredible, " She replied, sounding slightly in awe.

William mustered a false smile. He didn't feel incredible.

~*~

Lindsey gave William a room by himself for the weekend. He dumped his suitcases in the corner and laid on his back on the bed, trying to dig his phone out of his pocket. He was made to perform his abilities in front of the whole coven. He did well, or as well as he could whilst under pressure. He felt lik he was on the edge of an anxiety attack.

He dialed Gabe's number and waited.

"Mi amor," Gabe's voice crackled over the line, quiet but excited. William couldn't help but smile.

"Hi Gabey, how are you?" He asked softly. He heard a shifting noise through the phone, followed by a door shutting.

"I'm okay, muñeco. You?" Gabe replied in an equal tone.

William felt his heart jump. "I-I miss you. I'm really anxious." He stuttered a little, taking a breath as he heard Gabe make a soft, sympathetic noise.

"I miss you too, Bilvy. It'll be okay. You'll be home before you know it." Gabe answered. William liked that, liked that Gabe didn't ask questions. He just did what he could to help.

"I just want to see you." William sighed, rolling onto his side and looking out the window. It was an overcast night, the wind shaking the trees outside.

"It's mutual," Gabe replied, sounding wistful. William didn't answer immediately, just listening to Gabe's breath on the other line.

 

They stayed on the phone until William fell asleep and Gabe hung up, feeling nauseated. He definitely couldn't finish his task now.


End file.
